In Australia, Vice President Dick Cheney continued his visit Down Under with yet another warning against a troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Vice President Dick Cheney: “The notion that free countries can turn our backs on what happens in places like Afghanistan or Iraq or any possible safe haven for terrorists is an option that we simply cannot indulge. If our coalition withdrew before Iraqis could defend themselves, radical factions would battle for dominance of the country.”

Cheney went on to praise Australian Prime Minister John Howard for keeping Australian troops in Iraq. His comments came as polls show nearly 70 percent of Australians want an immediate pullout or a timetable for withdrawal. Antiwar protests continued around Cheney’s visit for a second day. Hundreds of people turned out behind heavy police barricades, waving signs and chanting “Chain up Cheney.”